Expert: Kimmi - 2/16/2008

Question
hi!! i'm alison and i need some help:[ i'm part of an allstar cheer team at my local gym. i just turned 17 years old and i've only been cheering for 3 years and i've moved very quickly with tumbling. being fearless is what has gotten me to the point i'm at. i threw a backhandspring on my own the very first day i ever tried cheerleading and it just went on from there. i have my full and standing tuck and i can do a standing double bhs to full. at my gym, we have a tumble track that has a pit at the end and i've been doing roundoff backhandspring double full into it. i had gotten so used to twisting that just a week ago on friday i was tired and it was the end of practice and i just wanted to just throw a backtuck into the pit instead of my regular double full and once i went and was up in the air for the backtuck my body totally froze up and didn't rotate back and i landed on my upperback/neck.. (obviously it didn't hurt because it's a soft pit that i landed into) but it was enough of a fall that turned my stomache upside down and got me thinking "what the heck was that!" ...it was almost like my body forgot how to go backward because it's been twisting so much. so i ran back to the beginning of the tumbling track to try it again and i just couldn't..i stood there for a while and i was just too shooken and i didn't even wanna twist. so i decided i get off tumbletrack and just go on the floor. tumbling on floor was fine for a little while but i guess i just got it into my head so much that i just feel uncomfortable tumbling at all. standing tucks are fine but even standing backhandsprings are making my stomach queezy. i'm just soo worried especially cus i've neverrrrrrrrr experienced any feeling like this about tumbling before. it's to the point that i'm depressed over it and i don't know what to do!! pleaseeee help!! i'd be veryyyy greatful!! thanks<3

Answer
Hi Alison,

   Wow, I'm sorry that this is happening to you. I've never heard of anything like this, and having said that I'm not quite sure what I can tell you to try to fix it. The most sound advice I can give you is to take a small break and mentally refresh yourself. Visualize all your tricks and remember that you can do these things with no problem whatsoever. Then, try to go back to the beginning and work on standing bhs. and from there on. I think you've just got yourself spooked and you have to get yourself back to yourself. I'm sorry I can't be of more help, but good good luck to you. Please let me know how it goes.
Happy Cheering!
Kimmi